Over 2,000 people attended "The Diamond Experience", a series of seminars, held back to back over four days last month at the St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta.

Gemmologist Jean-Mathieu Mangnay of the International Gemmological Institute (IGI) Education Department in Belgium, teamed up with gemmologist Karl Micallef of organisers Diamonds International, to give a series of educational lectures.

Mr Micallef told The Sunday Times the concept behind the seminars was to educate people on the appreciation of diamonds. "A slight difference in the quality of a diamond has a big difference in price," he said.

Mr Mangnay first showed a video on the production of diamonds by De Beers in Southern Africa, where half the world's diamonds, some 11.5 million carats, are mined using the latest technology.

"No two diamonds are the same," he affirmed. They vary in shape, lustre, colour, size and the way they reflect light. It was important to insist on having a certificate authenticating the size of the diamond, with some diamonds having the IGI serial number laser-inscribed.

Diamonds had to conform with the four Cs of diamond criteria: carat, clarity, colour and cut. The brilliant diamond has 57 or 58 facets and any shape is possible with current laser technology.

Diamonds International put on a lovely display of diamonds at St James Cavalier, including a pair of 12-carat diamond earrings in a special cut.

Mr Micallef said he was impressed with the turnout and interest in the Maltese in jewellery, with many of those visiting the seminar bringing items with them to be valued by Mr Mangnay and Mr Micallef.